Fire crews battling a house fire in Rosedale on Sunday found a man's body inside the home, but a 12-year-old boy managed to escape.

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Baltimore County fire officials said they received a call for a fire shortly after 7:15 a.m. in the 1300 block of Selling Avenue.

Fire officials said a 12-year-old boy was able to escape safely after hearing smoke detectors. The boy called 911.

"I saw a lot of smoke coming out of the house, all over the place. It was really amazing. I've never seen so much smoke come out of a house," said neighbor Mel Berk.

Despite the heat and humidity of the day, firefighters were able to put out the blaze in about 20 minutes. Once they got inside the home, they said they found a 49-year-old man's body in the back of the home on the first floor, where they were able to contain the fire.

The man hasn't been identified yet. Officials said the boy is a family friend, but several neighbors told 11 News they always knew the boy as the man's son. Neighbors said the man had health problems and that he recently suffered a stroke.

"He was recuperating from that, and it seemed like he was starting to get around a little bit," said neighbor Bill Narango (story continues below).

Investigators said the man and the boy were the only two inside the home at the time of the fire.

"He was a really nice guy. He would call over here for my granddaughter to come over and play with his son. He always got his son on the weekends," said neighbor Brenda Wendt. "Every weekend he would take him out shopping for something. He would take my granddaughter. He'd tell her, 'Get whatever you want.'"

Fire investigators are still looking into what killed the man and what started the fire.

Fire officials are also stressing the importance of having a working smoke detector. They said in this case, it may have saved the 12-year-old boy's life.